Associate Editor, Journalism

POSITION SUMMARY

The Associate Editor coordinates digital content production, editorial tracking, and writing support across multiple organizational platforms. Driven by creativity and a strong interest in K-12 education, this role shapes and edits news stories, opinion articles, and research pieces while collaborating with audience teams to amplify content.

The ideal candidate is an organized, fast-moving junior professional or recent graduate with initial editing and digital production experience who is excited to help shape educational media.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Content Support & Digital Production

• Assist senior staff by proofreading, line editing, fact-checking, and preparing K–12 education news, commentary, sponsored content, newsletters and multimedia content for publication, ensuring accuracy, brand alignment, and adherence to editorial standards and AP Style. 
• Contribute original writing, reporting, interviews, and research for news stories, features, opinion pieces, newsletters, and other editorial content as assigned.
• Format, headline, optimize, and stage articles, blog posts, newsletters, and other digital content within Contentful, HubSpot, or similar content management systems, ensuring clean formatting, accurate metadata, SEO best practices, and accessibility standards. 
• Prepare, resize, and edit basic visual assets (images, banners, graphics, and video clips) using standard design tools to enhance audience engagement and support storytelling. 

Audience Growth & Cross-Collaboration

• Partner with social media, marketing, and audience engagement teams to ensure newly published articles, newsletters, podcasts, and multimedia content receive strategic and effective promotion across digital channels.
• Assist in generating concepts for short-form promotional videos (e.g., vertical video for social platforms) to increase audience reach and engagement.
• Monitor content performance metrics and audience engagement data, sharing insights and recommendations to support editorial and promotional decision-making.
• Collaborate with colleagues across editorial, marketing, events, and other departments to support integrated content initiatives and organizational priorities.
• Participate in editorial planning meetings, contribute story ideas, and help identify opportunities for audience growth, content innovation, and cross-platform storytelling.

PRIORITY WILL BE PROVIDED TO CANDIDATES LIVING IN THE DC METRO AREA (MD, DC, or Northern VA); you will be REQUIRED to come into the Arlington, VA office one day per week.

Knowledge & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, English, education, digital media, or a related field.
• Minimum of two years of experience in editing, writing, reporting, digital publishing, or content production, which may include internships, student media leadership, university publications, freelance work, or professional roles.
• Foundational knowledge of journalism principles, editorial standards, fact-checking practices, media ethics, and AP Style.
• Familiarity with K–12 education, education technology, teaching and learning trends, or education policy preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent proofreading, copyediting, and written communication skills with strong attention to grammatical detail.
• Demonstrated ability to use content management systems (e.g., Contentful).
• Working knowledge of basic image and video editing software (e.g., Canva, CapCut, Adobe Photoshop/Premiere) and Google Workspace.
• Strong organizational skills to manage overlapping deadlines; a collaborative spirit and a passion for packaging short-form content for social audiences.

Work Environment

• Normal demands associated with a deadline-drive office environment.
• The noise level is generally quiet to moderate.
• Daily contact with external customers, vendors, colleagues, associates, supervisors, and staff at all levels of the organization.

Physical Demands

• Ability to remain at a desk for extended periods of time.
• Ability to communicate and exchange information with others.
• Ability to move about to coordinate work in areas of varying heights.
• Ability to perceive and inspect records in a document management system.
• Ability to operate general office equipment.
• Ability to travel to off-site meetings.
• Ability to lift, carry, move, or position objects weighing up to 10 pounds.